#i was never mind controlled

[shrugsinchinese]

Divine Twitch Chat come through 🤺

Also B/W version cause they kinda slap

[bluebells-and-dragonflies]

God, the intimacy of Astarion feeding from you.

Astarion drinking from your neck as he pulls your body closer to his in bed, his chest up against your back, his arms wrapped around your waist. It's a casual thing, now, his whispered can I? and your answering nod, as much a part of your bedtime routine as your bath or his curl care. You sigh as his fangs pierce your skin and his fingers flex against your stomach. His breath hitches when the taste of you hits his tongue, and that's familiar too, the physicality of it, the noises he makes low in his throat as he drinks, the way he grows warmer against you as your blood begins to flow through his veins. Nothing else makes you feel so heady, so intoxicated- so comforted.

Astarion drinking from your wrist when he’s starving for it and can’t wait to get you more comfortable. Pulling him into an alleyway one night on the way home from the Elfsong because you can see how badly he's craving in the way he can't keep his eyes off of the pulse point in your neck. He seizes your arm with both hands (can I? Yes-), bringing the soft skin on the inside of your wrist to his lips. He has just enough presence of mind to kiss the heel of your hand distractedly before he bites, fangs sliding through your skin and into the vein. The sound he makes can only be described as a growl, something feral and possessive (and you'll never tell him that it turns you on, since he would be insufferable about it- a promise to yourself that lasts exactly as long as the space between the moment and the next time you're tipsy and want him).

(NSFW Below!)

Astarion drinking from your inner thigh, one hand holding your leg steady and the other cupping your cunt. You groan, eyes shut in pleasure, as his thumb comes to rub your clit. The pain of the bite is barely pain this way- it collides with the pleasure in your belly and sends you almost out of your mind, overwhelmed with sensation and heat. He takes you all the way there, takes just enough from you to have you relaxed and pliant and soaring somewhere above your own body, plays you like an instrument with all the knowledge of you he's gathered over the months, the years. He knows when you're close, knows to crook his fingers inside you just so, knows the reaction he's going to get when he pulls away from your thigh for just a moment and looks up at you with dark eyes and tells you to come for him, he wants to see it, you fall apart so beautifully and it's all for him, isn't it, tell him how good he makes you feel and when you climax with his voice in your ear and the scent of blood on the air he has the audacity to laugh at how well he understands you, your body.

He's soft, after, softer than he'll ever be with anyone who isn't you. He licks you clean before he takes you to the bath, carrying you with the strength your lifeblood gives him. It's the least he can do for you, with everything you've given him: not just your body, but your trust, your closeness, and he will never stop being grateful.

[samsimisauser]

except for the kill switch.

The Peacock allows it's user to instantly end the existence of which ever Senti it's user Wants.

Where does that comes into play in the metaphor?

Also I personally don't think the metaphor works for the future. In 50 years anyone who picks up any Amok would still have control over anyone of them, they will never be free (which I understand that that's part of the metaphor)

This allegory for abuse goes to far, People who were abused by their caretakers might feel like they were mind controlled in hindsight, they might even fall victim to such behaviors again but

Being mind controlled by total strangers because the picked up a piece of jewelry, is not how the long term effects of childhood abuse play out.

I get that it's an allegory and doesn't match one to One but that part has never computed for me...

(For the record though I broadly Agree with your points)

Also something i want to talk about that again, some fans doesnt seem to grasp

Sentimonsters are an allegory for abuse.

Think about it. This is a kids show. It's really difficult to portrait abuse in children media, because not every case of abuse is the same.

But do you know what kids do know?

Emotions

And a sentimonsters is a creation based on an emotion. A simple concept, right?

Ok, then how parents usually explain how a kid is conceived?

Mommy and Daddy loved each other and you were born

Gabriel and Emilie also loved each other. Adrien was planned to be conceived out of their love. Love is enough, right? Adrien should have been happy, right?

Except he isn't. Because Gabriel's love turned into power hungriness and then into abuse.

Kagami was born to be the perfect descendant, and it was turned into abuse

Felix was born into a semi-loving house, but his father was abusive as well.

All of them, sentis, were conceived with a purpose, with "love" in mind. What a lot of children in abusive households tend to be born in. But that "love" is never what it is. It's about control, it's about having the power over someone who you are supposed to protect.

That's what sentimonsters are supposed to represent in the show.

It's horrible, but it's something kids can understand and adults should realize as well.

It's not about what Adrien and the others are, but how the adults, their caretakers, are using their love in such a terrifying way.

[vwoop-prince]

YJ S3 Dick, still in the midst of his fever dream, hides underneath the 'souvenir' instead of behind some boxes, and accidentally opens the airlock trying to take care of the Parademons. The others get it to close... but not before Nightwing is thrown into space.

There, he stares at the ship holding his friends and mentors. There, he wishes more than anything that he can, somehow, survive. There, he tries to live, if only so his family don't have to bury him like Jason.

There, Nightwing dies, wanting to save everyone, even with the cold seeping into his bones far too quickly for a regular section of space.

Then, Dick opens his eyes to... Earth? There's a little house, and grass, and trees, but there's a bubble of green over it all. Outside of that green was an entire castle, one that looked like it should have far more support beams than it does for even a hope that it stays standing.

And the sky was swirling shades of that same green. It makes him think of Lazarus.

"Well, that's something you don't see every day." He whips his head behind him, a bit too fast for Earth's atmosphere, but it doesn't hurt him. Past the bubble of green was a blue-skinned adult in purple robes, the insides of a grandfather-clock fitted inside their torso, and a black staff with a stopwatch on its top. Beside them was a man with snow white hair, glowing green eyes, a crown of frozen fire dancing above his head, and the most galaxy-like cloak Dick's ever seen clasped to his shoulders. He's wearing... a hazmat suit? Maybe? The twinkling stars and odd lighting of wherever he is were giving him a bit of a headache.

But in front of those two, within this bubble, was...

"DICK!" Wally shouted with unrestrained glee, a blur overtaking his spot for barely a heartbeat before Dick's stuck in a crushing hug that he reciprocates once his brain stops feeling like its melting.

He doesn't know how long it took for them to calm down, but the man with the crown spoke up after a time, as Wally was still wiping their faces free of tears. "Welcome to the Infinite Realms, Nightwing." Dick barely even registered that he was still wearing his suit, but now it felt suffocating. "I suppose you're the one Clockwork was holding out for; There shouldn't've been enough Ectoplasm around you to form a Ghost, and your physical body's still in space. I can see why you like this one, though, Clockie," he states flippantly, turning to his companion. Almost like he didn't expect Dick to pay too close attention to what he was saying.

"Either way, there's two options for you." The man didn't let Dick swallow his tears and question anything. Dick's not sure if he's grateful or not. "First: Stay in the Realms permanently. You'll see Kid Flash whenever you want and learn to be a Ghost with the denizens of the Realms. Maybe find your parents."

"But..." Dick pulls away from Wally, keeping him at arms length, eyes flitting between them. The two outside the bubble were distinctly... ghost-like, so the mentions of 'Ghosts' make sense. But Wally looked... alive. A bit pale, a bit thin... but alive. Dick can't see any of his own skin to see if it was blue or tinted that way, but the Nightwing symbol on his chest kept flickering between its own blue and this 'Realms' green. "But--What about the others? What about you? Why can't you come home?" The last two, he focuses on Wally, because now he can feel a heartbeat beneath his gloves. Wally's alive. He's alive.

His friend just shrugs. "Something about their portals not fit for the living? I'm meant to wait for someone to figure out a permanent portal, but they won't tell me how long that'll take." Wally glares at the... 'Ghosts'? There was a heat to it, but it also seemed like this was a well-worn argument.

"The permanent portal was always an 'if', Wallace West. And that is entirely dependent on if Richard Grayson takes the second option," the clock Ghost--Clockwork?--speaks up. But instead of the adult Dick was expecting, there was an elderly Ghost in their place. Still with the time motif. Was that... more literal than Dick took it?

"Yes, the second option..." The crowned man glares daggers at Clockwork. The temperature dips below comfortable. Dick tries to blink the spaceship and stars out of his sight, withdrawing his arms from Wally to try and warm himself. Tries to remember he's not in space. "The second option is that you return to your body... changed. You'll be able to protect Earth better, stay with your alive family, save the Lost Ones... for a price."

Dick doesn't know if he should ignore the plural in 'Lost Ones'. He doesn't know if he's reading too much into how, in this Realm, apparently only his parents were able to be found. Where's Jason? He doesn't dare hope, but...

"What's the price?"

The man smiles and a ring of blue forms around his waist. It splits in two and travels up and down his body, replacing the cloak and whatever clothes he was actually wearing with a NASA shirt, worn jeans, and red sneakers actually duct taped together. The blue tint to his otherwise tan skin fades completely. His hair turns black. His eyes turn blue.

He was like a taller, slightly slimmer, way hotter version of Bruce.

The man walks through the bubble, but doesn't disturb the grass beneath his feet. "You become the Ghost King's vassal." Dick flinches away and almost hides behind Wally. "Not my idea! But, well... it is either this, or your permanent death."

"What does becoming a vassal do to him?" Wally asks, gently trying to stop Dick from breaking his ribs with how tightly he was hugging himself. Does he even have ribs?

"He gains my powers. Ice, electricity, invisibility, intangibility, flight... He becomes a Halfa. He becomes what I was, in life. Just... needing to make offerings to me, now and then. Something like that, at least. I give him powers, he gives me a chunk of, I don't know, chocolate once a week. Like a warlock."

Wally keeps talking to the man, keeps getting information that he knows he should pay attention to, but something in his chest screams to accept this deal, and he can't focus on anything else.

Nightwing can protect. He can return to life and go back to Blüdhaven, be the Vigilante they need. He can visit Gotham every now and then, help with cases and stop criminals from harming others. He can see his brother. He can see his friends. He can eat Alfred's cookies, and have little get-togethers with Babs and the Team--hell, he can argue with Bruce.

And all he has to do is... give an offering to this guy? The Ghost King? Every once in a while?

"There's no other price?" The King turns his attention to Dick. His eyes had shifted to a blue-green that almost hypnotize him. The green swirls, the blue forms and melts like snowflakes, and he can't look away.

He takes another step forward and Wally steps to the side. There was familiarity between them. Wally deferred to him. Dick can't quite tell why. Though, with how Wally hasn't once looked at Clockwork, maybe it's because he's... grounded? Are all speedsters in trouble with, what, the Ghost of Time? That... actually makes perfect sense.

"I'll be honest, Nightwing: You've impressed me." The weight behind the King's words lifts the ones that've been on his shoulders since he was nine. "You remind me of myself. Maybe, if I wasn't a Halfa... If I had a mentor... I could've been like you.

"Despite Clockwork's insistence over the years that I get back in touch with the living, I've held off. When he eventually suggested that I help create another Halfa, I locked him in his tower for twenty years. I didn't want anyone to go through what I had. But, now... I see that you won't. You can't. Even if you hide this deal--our shared powers... You'll still have people by your side. Strong people. Smart people. You can already handle yourself. And I'd love to see what you can do--who you can save--with my help."

There was maybe two inches between their faces when the King finishes speaking. Dick roves his eyes across the other's face, trying to find the common and familiar ticks that show lies and deceit and manipulation. All he finds is sincerity and genuine care.

Wally plays with his fingers from the corner of his eye, gaze hopeful as he looks between the two of them. Wally, who was alive and breathing and able to leave if he accepts. Eventually. Somehow.

Dick Grayson sends a quiet apology to his parents and hopes they will forgive him for being a little bit selfish.

"I accept."

He flings his eyes open. Above him, domino mask too wobbly to be properly secured anymore, was Robin crying and begging him to wake up. His hands were sloppily placed over his heart. Batman was trying to drag him away, the firm set of his jaw screaming grief.

Nightwing gasps once he registers his lungs burning.

There's a large cacophony of noise, multiple bright suits and people hounding over him, and the distinct artificial taste of slightly-too-much oxygen that the ship with the Parademons had. That he flew out of and died. He was still too cold.

Someone moves their arm beneath his knees and shoulder and Dick passes out.

(Dick 'Nightwing' Grayson dies in space. Ghost King Danny Phantom likes this too-human Hero. They split their souls in half, take one piece of the others, and all they know is that Phantom is now Nightwing's Patron Deity. Danny uses ice, for electricity killed him. Dick uses electricity, for ice killed him. They are opposites, and yet so incredibly similar. Clockwork was looking forward to when Danny starts putting off his paperwork to hang out with his new 'friend'.)

[little-pondhead]

Danny moved to Gotham.

Freakshow is touring in Gotham.

Freakshow knows Danny is in Gotham.

Danny knows Freakshow is still after him.

Danny's faith in heroes has been shattered.

Danny turns to the only person powerful enough to run Freakshow out of town, hopefully for good.

Danny turns to the Joker for help.

The Joker is looking for a new punching bag sidekick after Harley Quinn left him.

Danny is just the perfect person to be shaped by the Joker's hands.

Danny becomes the new Joker Junior.

[mariyekos]

One of the things that makes me feel crazy on DMC5 replays is the way V phrases his request to Dante.

He doesn't say "we need your help to stop the demon." He says "A powerful demon is about to resurrect, and we need your help, Dante." The implication seems to be that V needs Dante's help to stop it...but if you've played it before, that's not what he's really asking. V needs Dante's help in order for the resurrection to take place. Because until Urizen is weakened V has no chance of rejoining him, so he needs Dante's help to weaken Urizen so he's primed for merging and bringing about Vergil's resurrection. The "we" V refers to could also absolutely be both V and Urizen in that case, instead of just some general "we" of humanity. So he's not really asking for help to stop the resurrection, but instead to bring it about, hiding the truth in plain sight and careful wording.

The DMC 5 localization can be wonky in some places, but in other places it just shines. "We need your help, Dante." Not to stop it. He never says that. It's to bring about the resurrection itself.

[sophbun]

chilidog tower 🍕

[howlsofbloodhounds]

when people say they hate killer I nod in complete understanding and bite my tongue to keep from asking their exact reasons because I know I’ll immediately start defending his shitty behavior

[pierkyn]

Dragon's Dogma 2: Main Pawn - Affinity

As it turns out, your Main Pawn can be befriended by/"fall in love" with your Arisen (the Main Character).

Pictured below: my Main Pawn fawning, aka: the blushy boy

(i play on the lowest settings to save frames, bear with me)

Look at this dork! :'D

I accidentally got him in this state by spending waaay too much gold on him at the Clovis's Barberie (the hairstylist), but you can also gain affinity with your Pawn by:

high-fiving them after fights, spending time with them by drinking at the taverns (beer mug icon on the map), waving at them every-so-often ("hail" interaction) and talking with them from time to time (small talk/matters of import)

So - by treating Pawns like real people, they can become more… human?

...and fall in love?

OW MY HEART

Also:

[hazelnut-u-out]

Somehow never caught this before, but does this imply Birdperson’s mom killed his dad and he remembers seeing it?

The fact this memory is somehow tied to Blood Ridge in his mind makes me wonder if that’s part of why he didn’t accept Rick’s advances— maybe even subconsciously. If that’s what this implies, no wonder he had commitment issues. Makes the shit with Tammy hit differently, too…

I know it’s a throw away moment, but I really hope we get a follow up on that… Regardless of what that memory is, it’s dark shit.

[puppyeared]

i feel like im not making any sense but does anyone else feel like there are stories that let u run with them and ones that spell everything out for you

[dedicatedfollower467]

okay maybe a hot take but like. people going "spirk is canon now omg!!!" after that short film that just dropped - you do realize that like. it's not any more canon than it has been for like, forever, right?

they held hands and watched the sunset together. big whoop.

yes vulcans have a whole hand-holding thing, but like. kirk and spock have held hands before, this is not? any different? than any of that???

like people are out here screaming "OMG SPIRK IS CANON AFTER 57 YEARS" guys if holding hands and staring into each other eyes while the music swells is good enough to call it "canon" then spirk has been canon since the motion picture came out in 1979.

[subliminalbo]

The Stepford Salesman

"Wow," Brad blinked. "I know," Jimmy Hooker replied with a wide grin. "She's so—" Brad stammered, searching for the right words. "Made to order," Jimmy assisted.

Standing before Brad and Jimmy was Samantha Baldwin—or the woman who had been Samantha Baldwin. Jimmy had led the new Samantha into the room to present herself to Brad, guiding her by the hand like a servant escorting a princess to the big ball. But now, the way Jimmy stood there next to Brad in his pinstripe suit and gaudy floral patterned tie, his hands spread out in a "tad-da!" pose, he looked more like a two-bit used car salesman. That made Samantha was the '81 Pontiac Firebird that he was trying to upsell.

Brad cocked his head to the side, examining all the angles of his new girlfriend. Samantha, who had entered the room with a beaming smile, was now standing silently, emotionless. Awaiting appraisal.

"The hair?" Brad asked. "Why so...groovy?"

"That's the style all the husbands want," Jimmy replied in his rapid fire way of speaking. "It's a thing, y'know? The retro housewife. Pie on the windowsill, dinner on the table, nobody locks their doors. Reminds 'em of the way things used to be." "I was born in 1995." Brad replied. "Well, if it's not your fit, we can give her a new look. The Rachel. Remember the Rachel?" "Can she speak?" Brad interrupted.

"Of course!" Jimmy clapped Brad on the back. "Even better, she can speak in twenty languages now. She can suck your cock in Cantonese."

Brad swallowed. "I dunno, Mr. Hooker." "Brad," Jimmy shook his head. "Need I remind you that she wanted this?"

Brad knew that was true, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Jimmy was some kind of con artist who had played Samantha into accepting the conversion. Jimmy had been in town for a few weeks and the speed at which he'd begun converting the women of Romero into wifebots, or Stepfords as he called them, was alarming. All consensual, Jimmy swore, but somehow Hooker's pitch had made Brad even more skeptical.

It was Samantha who made the call. She had always been a submissive person, but lately she had been craving to be controlled. The prospect of a full transformation into a loyal Stepford wife was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Brad didn't know how Jimmy had swindled the rest of the town's wives into conversions, but for Samantha it was the natural next step in their lives together.

"Samantha?" Brad asked.

Samantha blinked. Awareness returned to her eyes as if a switch had been flipped in her head. Her gaze locked on Brad as she registered his status in her databank.

Unit Samantha: active. Status: submissive. Controller: Brad.

"Hello, my darling," Samantha smiled. "How do you feel, hon?" Brad asked slowly.

She said with a little tilt of the head, "I feel wonderful, my darling. How may I service you?" "Service me?" Brad repeated. "As your loyal wife, I am sworn to service you in a number of duties including: cooking, cleaning, conversation, and stimulation."

Only one word stuck in Brad's head.

"Wife?" Brad repeated.

"Oh yeah," Jimmy chuckled. "I took care of that for you. All above board, legit paperwork. I know a guy who knows a guy."

"Would you like me to suck your cock?" Samantha smiled.

Brad combed his fingers nervously through his hair.

"Go ahead, slugger," Jimmy encouraged him with a playful elbow to the side. "Take her for a test run. If it's not the best fuck you ever had, you get your money back. One hundred percent guarantee." "She really wanted this?" Brad asked. "We were gonna have a destination wedding."

"Of course she did!" Jimmy reassured him. "You can still have your destination wedding, people do it all the time after getting hitched at the courthouse. It's just a formality. I sell Stepford wives, not girlfriends."

Activating: Oral Stimulation Program

As Jimmy danced off to count his money, Samantha dropped to her knees before Brad. He resented how the sight of his girlfriend all made up like a mindless 60's housewife could make him so hard. His cock was ready to spill from his jeans by the time she finished with the buckle.

The awareness in Samantha's eyes melted away once again as she opened wide. She took him in her mouth, and Brad knew instantly that Jimmy had been right. His new wife was worth every penny.

[knownoshamc]

Are you telling me they put that little martini detail (as far as I can remember Daniel never mentioned it verbally on the show, you had to read it from his laptop if you were quick enough. Which also so far adds absolutely nothing to the plot) on purpose but the whole "you felt freer to hold her hand in Paris. I wonder why that is" is never gonna be used later? 🤔

[chirpsythismorning]

Fun fact: In the original pitch for Stranger Things, El had a little brother.

After being rejected by almost 20 studios for the Montauk pilot, the Duffers were finally green-lit by Netflix. It was at this time that they began casting and then writing the first season officially, which included reworking a lot of that first episode.

This led to the removal of the brother reference, and with it, removing any sort of arc El could have had about her apparent brother.

But the thing about this moment, is that it might not have been scrapped entirely...

Going into the final season, no one can explain why or how El recognized Will back in 1x02. And while there are plenty of things on the show that are left unexplained, with a small portion likely left that way with the intention to uncover it later, what sets this moment apart from the rest is that there are very few possibilities here.

Because for starters, the story presents El's ability to see people in the void in s1 as requiring either a picture of that person for reference, or having met that person before.

But when El see's this picture of Will, she's never met him before. Or maybe she has, but we wouldn't know because they never showed us. They could have just not done this scene at all, given that it's clearly a copy/paste/edit of something scrapped from the pitch. Or they could have even still included it, but explained it.

One explanation could be that the lab had shown El a picture of Will before, similar to what they did with the Russian agent they wanted to spy on. But then that begs to question, why would the lab show El a picture of Will? Why would they want to see what he was doing? That alone is incriminating in and of itself, implying that Will is more connected to the lab than we realize.

The only other, and frankly most likely explanation, would be that El stumbled across Will at some point on her journey between escaping the lab and Will going missing. This is actually something that happens in The Other Side comic, which explores all the things Will may have experienced during his time in the Upside Down.

Though it’s worth noting the comics aren’t technically canon, and I highly doubt they would outright spoil everything in relation to Will’s time there, years before it was intended to be revealed. But still, let's humor this for a moment given that I do think Will's time in the UD is going to be very relevant in s5, which means it's highly likely they will finally address how exactly El saw him.

Basically, in the comic, Will see’s El walking through the woods, almost apparition like, glowing as she passes by, while also sporting the Benny’s burgers shirt. This means they would have crossed passed within a short span of time, between when El escaped Benny’s when the agents arrived, but before she was found by the boys.

Though it’s worth noting that we’re seeing this all from Will’s perspective. This means from the UD, Will was capable of seeing El on the other side, despite them being on different sides. And not only that, but she also looks back at him.

What confuses me about this, is that it doesn’t make sense for El to be in the woods, only to randomly decide to pop in to the void for a moment. She was trying to escape the lab and everything that came with it. I doubt she had any desire to lurk back there for some reason, not until someone encouraged her to. Not to mention, it would make no sense for her to go there and see Will if she wasn't even looking for him in the first place. And so this would mean Will and El could see each other, with Will being in the UD, and El being on the other side.

While it does seem pretty far off, given that you would think Will and El wouldn't be able to see each other from different sides, it is true in the story that El not only recognizes Will, but knows that he is in danger. She mentions that he is hiding specifically.

Which means she has likely seen him within the last 24 hours regardless.

This, in combination with Will being able to respond to El in the void at the end of the season in Castle Byers, when no one else outside of Terry and flayed-Billy have been able to, seems to imply that there is indeed something special about Will that makes him capable of communicating with El from the UD. Not only that, but El also seems to have an ability to be in this constant knowing state of how Will is doing, without even checking again to confirm. She's just certain of it. And she seems terrified about it.

Going forward, El never uses a picture of Will to find him. She never did. And more often than not, they don’t show us what she see’s either, not until the very end. And that’s the moment they reveal that he was able to communicate with her.

Again, there was really no reason to have El recognize Will. If anything it complicates things. But the fact that they chose to introduce this concept, with a scene from the original pitch that was related to El’s younger brother, with her pointing at his name cryptically, startling Benny, only to revamp it and have El not say anything at all while pointing at the picture of Will, startling Mike… It just really makes you stop and think.

Which brings me to the other aspect of this that might have people doubting, which is that El’s brother was originally younger than her.

We know Will is not younger than El, so how could this apply to him?

Well, it might be helpful to consider that in the original script, El was actually 10 years old, while the boys were always 12. Meaning that for some reason, they decided to age her up to the age of the boys, aka the same age as Will…

Ever since @erikiara80 shared this brother discovery with me, I have been sort of reeling. It then led to other little discoveries of changes they made between Montauk and Stranger Things.

It’s important to understand that the Montauk bible and the original script precedes what we ended up with in the final product, with it finally changing and evolving months, maybe even a year since that original vision. Even casting occurred before writing started for the first season. We know this because casting announcements were made in June and August of 2015, with writing not starting until August going into early 2016, simultaneously while they were filming.

And believe it or not, what I've discovered is that a lot of the changes they made between their original plans and what we see in the final product, have to do with not only Willel, but also Byler.

If you've read the original script for Montauk, you'll know that Mike's crush on Jennifer Hayes was focused on right from the jump, along with the birthmark on his face being focused on, which was the main cause of the bullying he experienced.

This has actually been talked about recently, and some of the claims people make do fit with what I am genuinely starting to consider here, which is that the initial plan for what makes Mike an outcast shifted.

I think when they completed casting, and started actually deep diving into what they wanted this world to look like, both from a short-term and long-term standpoint, they were presented with some pretty interesting discoveries, arguably already hiding in their initial plans without realizing it.

And this is where it sort of becomes a 'chicken or the egg' situation. Because which one came first? Byler or Willel?

I can't say for certain, because obviously this is all just speculation. But in the case that Willel came first, I think Byler would come very naturally after that.

The Duffers themselves are twins. Then they hire Noah, who is a twin. Then they're thinking and planning for El's past and how her family all fits into this, and they're thinking... wait a damn minute... We could totally Star Wars this bitch!

And then when they think it couldn't get any better, they uncover another layer that they hadn't planned or really considered in their initial plans.

While Will was always going to have sexual identity issues according to the Montauk bible, meaning that the writing process for him likely involved sitting down imagining scenarios that encapsulated this arc for Will from the beginning, they were simultaneously now finding very interesting aspects of Mike's character that made it hard not to at least consider the possiblity that Mike is not exactly straight.

Just think about it. The Byers and Wheelers are basically polar opposites on the spectrum of what a family looks like. While Will's discovery and acceptance of his queerness is interesting to explore because he comes from a low-income, single-mom household, all while having been bullied for years based on his perceived queerness, he also has a mother and brother constantly reinforcing that they will accept him no matter what. They've been sort of hitting us over the head with it for years, and so it wouldn't be very satisfying for his entire arc to merely lead up to something we've known all along. It's pretty much a given at this point.

On the other side of the spectrum, Mike comes from a more upper-middle class family at the end of a cul-de-sac, more aligned with what a nuclear family looks like. Mike's family is also presented as being more conservative, and while Karen does give that very queer-coded speech to Mike in s1 (I'm convinced they only wrote this after deciding to explore queer-coding more heavily with Mike), it also comes with comments from Ted and even still Karen that hint that they are probably not as open-minded and accepting as Will's family is to him. Which means Mike's arc would be a lot more about acceptance around him from his loved ones who we have been led to believe might not be as accepting of his queerness in contrast to Will.

And so as they're putting this story together, and they're being presented with something very interesting. Two similar experiences that play out in different ways because of the characters circumstances.

Will goes missing, and his twin sister with a buzzcut pops up and has the ability to help them find Will.

This leads to several moments where El is being compared to as not only a boy, but Will as well.

Now suddenly, their initial plans to have Mike's arc be about having a girl be interested in him and to hopefully have his first kiss and feel like less of a loser, starts to look a lot like what the experience a queer kid in his position might encounter growing up in the environment that he did.

And if you don't want to take my word for it, just hear the Duffer's themselves hinting at what they initially planned for Mike and the fact that it changed.

The changes don't stop there.

Believe it or not, 'It was a seven', did not exist in the initial pitch. When the boys went outside bickering over Nancy, they leave right after that.

Another thing that changed from the first script, was Scott Clarke's introduction:

And so you might be thinking, who cares? What does that have to do with anything?

Well, it's interesting because the line we end up with on the show is arguably one of the most on the nose Twelvegate proofs to date. Mind you, this is from the first episode:

Why chuck the original version, which was arguably more interesting and fascinating in terms of it hinting at the mysteriousness surrounding this story, only to replace it with him listing off tips about their upcoming test?

Well, I think it's the irony of it all. Here Mr. Clarke is practically telling us where to look to figure stuff out for ourselves what is going on, with all the kids filing out and ignoring him...

I relate to Scott a litttle too much in this shot here, any time I try to drop Willel evidence.

And the changes go on, as they obviously would.

Things like Terry Ives not even being El's mom, but actually a man who more so aligns with the characterization of Murray.

And one very interesting one I almost overlooked was in Hopper's introduction, where instead of a kids drawing done by who we assume to be Sarah, we actually see a picture on the wall of him and his wife and daughter... Interesting that they decided to switch it something that is a lot less definitive in presenting what Hopper's past looked like...

If you've made it this far, congratulations.

If you still think I'm out of my mind, just remember that El was going to have a brother in the original script, but they scrapped the scene and gave a near identical one to introduce her connection to Will instead 😘

[pocket-watcher]

So i know you’ve been writing a lot of fae stuff recently, but if you’re up for it please, I was wondering, I see a lot of hypnosis stuff about what happens when you’re being lured in by the fae, but never when they do with you once they’ve got you. Do you get kept as a pet, perhaps? Do they feed on your mental energy? What happens?

Hiya friend! Of course, I’ll take a crack at it! Of course, this will just be my interpretation so feel free to go and get stolen by the fae to confirm exactly what does happen aha ;)

It was warm. Much warmer than the normal winters in the countryside.

That should have been the first warning.

You sat up and opened your eyes to find yourself in a field unlike anything you’d ever seen before.

The colours were unnatural. Pink hues where there should be blue, and stars in the sky during the day.

What was this place?

The last thing you’d remembered was… well, hm.

You couldn’t remember anything.

Not even your own name.

“Oh look, here’s another one!” You heard behind you.

That was when you remembered something.

Beware the fae.

This spirit was taller than you, with pointed ears and an ethereal aura around them.

And they were impossibly attractive.

“Where do all of you keep coming from?” They said musically, admiring you as if you were a cake at a patisserie.

“I’m sorry?” You asked.

“No need to apologise! You must be confused. Such terrible manners, to steal you away and then leave you all alone…”

They played with the hem of your shirt.

“That’s enough, now.” Another voice said. Deeper, now. “They’re mine.”

The fae in front of you pouted, disappearing in an instance, whilst the newer one kissed your hand.

“My apologies, for keeping you waiting. Come along, now.” They said, leading you by the hand.

Your legs moved on their own to follow.

“Where are we?”

“The fae wild. You gave me your name, now you are here.” They said shortly.

You hurried to catch up, which is when you saw a large house in the distance.

You gulped, wondering what lay ahead for you.

The house was dark, and a little damp.

Eclectic, you thought.

“Your clothes aren’t of this world. They won’t last. Go up those stairs, down the hall, and it’s the third door on the left. You’ll find new clothes in there. Those are you sleeping quarters.”

You marvelled at the large house.

“So what, I live here now?”

They hummed. “You live here to serve me. You can eat what you like. Read what you like. Go where you like, but when I ring that bell, you’re mine. Do you understand?”

You nodded.

“But, I want to ensure you are comfortable if you are to stay here. Meaning, you will ring the bell the first time. Understood? I won’t do anything until you ring that bell.”

And with that, they went about their days.

You’d begun to settle, only catches glimpses of the one who stole you away. Their eyes. Their voice. It invaded your mind at all hours.

And that damned bell.

It sat there, taunting you. You knew what you’d allow to begin once you rang it. Several days went by. Then weeks. Until your temptation overcame you.

DING.

They appeared in your bedchamber instantly, lips entangled, hungry, unable to hold back.

This was how you’d serve them. Your clothes were on the floor, your sheets were undone, throw pillows knocked aside.

Their kisses tasted like nectar. Their body like summer heat.

You lost yourself entirely to them. You gave yourself entirely. Your mind existed only to serve them, waiting for them to ring the bell again.

And that is how you spent the rest of eternity.